AI Glossary

NPU

Also called neural processing unit

What does “NPU” mean?

NPU: Built into many phones, tablets and laptops, an NPU is a small processor dedicated to running neural networks efficiently. It handles AI tasks using far less power than the main CPU or GPU would, which helps preserve battery life.

NPU visual guide: Built into many phones, tablets and laptops, an NPU is a small processor dedicated to running neural networks efficiently. It handles AI tasks using far less power than the main CPU or GPU would, which helps preserve battery life.
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What is an example of “NPU”?

Apple's Neural Engine is one example of an NPU. Features like on-device photo search or live captions can run on it.

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See also

On-device AITermEdge AITermAI acceleratorTermQuantizationTerm

Same topic

Model servingTermONNXTermModel compressionTermPower usage effectivenessTermInterconnectTerm